Le Journal (Kuwait) - summer 2013

kuwait

summer ISSUE > 2013

Balsam and Lulwa Al Ayoub with Mr Abdulmohsen Behbehani, Shahzad Gidwani, Renaud Pretet.

Teaming up to empower women

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ollowing their visit to the historical manufacture of Jaeger-LeCoultre, in May, Kuwaiti fencing champions Balsam and Lulwa Al Ayoub announced a partnership between the prestigious watch brand and their foundation Touché Sports Development Management, which supports the empowerment of women in Kuwait through sport and education. The event took place at the Regency hotel in Kuwait, together with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s esteemed retail partner Morad Yousuf Behbehani Group.

The partnership coincides with the launch of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s latest feminine collection, the Rendez-Vous. The watch is said to embody a free-spirited and spontaneous personality that is constantly reinvented, a sentiment reflected by the vision of the Al Ayoub sisters in their careers as sportswomen and social entrepreneurs.

Ribbon-cutting with, CEO Jean-Claude Biver, Abdul Mohsen Behbehani, Ali Morad Behbehani, Shahzad Gidwani.

Hublot’s first standalone boutique

T New Hublot shop at the Avenues.

he event to celebrate the opening of the first Hublot boutique in Kuwait was graced with the presence of Jean-Claude Biver, Chairman of Hublot, who was joined by Ali Morad Behbehani, President of Morad Yousuf Behbehani Group, and many esteemed guests. Located in the Avenues Mall-Prestige, the boutique has been designed in line with the brand’s concept of “The Art of Fusion”, represented through the fusion of materials such as natural buckskin and ebony, which create a warm ambiance. The Kuwait boutique is the seventh for Hublot in the region, with the Swiss watch brand currently on a roll with a boutique opening almost every month at the most prestigious locations across the globe.

Shaker Hassan Al Said (VERSO), mixed media on paper, 40 x 32cm, 1994, courtesy of Agial Art Gallery, Lebanon.

Shorouq Amin, Sami Mohamed.

Samia Halaby, Three Squares Pyramid, 2011, acrylic on linen canvas, 152 X 203 cm, courtesy of Samawi Collection.

Amine Al Bacha, Untitled, 1967, oil on canvas, 70 x 100 cm, courtesy of CAP.

Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kuwait Nicolaas Beets and his family.

Farida Al Sultan, Arsalan Mohammad, Jafar Islah

Celebrating abstract art from the Arab world

Hamed Abdalla, 1966 TAALISMAN 60x92 cm gouache-papier de soie froissé 055, Courtesy of CAP.

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ne of the biggest retrospectives to celebrate and map the abstract movement in the Arab world was launched in March by Contemporary Art Platform (CAP), featuring the works of 88 Arab artists during the Modern period. The exhibition, “Tajreed Part I: A Selection of Arab Abstract Art”, took place under the patronage of the Minister of Information and the State Minister of Youth Affairs: Sheikh Salman Al Sabah, and was curated by Saleh Barakat in collaboration with CAP.

Minister of Information and the State Minister of Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al Sabah, Founder of CAP Amer Huneidi.

Dima Al Delham.

Fadia Al Marzouq, Aurona Al Sultan.

Sara Al Nafisi and her friend.

Khalifa Al Ghanim.

Assouline and Goyard unveiled

Nora Barany, Gy Barany.

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ook and art lovers were in for a treat in June when Contemporary Art Platform (CAP) hosted an unveiling reception for Assouline’s latest collaboration with French luxury trunk-makers Goyard. Assouline is a New York City-based luxury book publisher esteemed for its visually stunning publications. The elite of Kuwait society gathered for the event where the items on display included a limited edition Goyard trunk filled with Assouline books.

The King of Diamonds lands in Kuwait

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arlier this year guests celebrated the launch of the very first Harry Winston salon in Kuwait. Located in the Prestige District of the Avenues Mall, the 122-square metre Harry Winston salon is home to a selection of jewellery and timepieces from some of the most iconic collections. Harry Winston was founded in 1932 by the American jeweller of the same name, who would go on to be known as the ‘King of Diamonds’ and ‘Jeweller to the Stars”. Today the brand continues his legacy of creating exquisite jewels and timepieces, with 28 salons worldwide. The recently opened Kuwait salon is in partnership with premier retailer Kuwait Luxury Co.

Seeking Al-Tawhid

Pump up the Jamm Words: Rich Thornton

Created by Kuwati royal Sheikha Lulu Al-Sabah, JAMM is an art trading consultancy that seeks to do more for Gulf culture than help money change hands

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n a world where new art is as abundant as the air we breathe, how can the intelligent art enthusiast be expected to know what to buy and where to put it? JAMM is here to help. Founded by Kuwati Sheikha Lulu AlSabah, JAMM is an art consultancy that helps individuals, businesses and probably even small governments decide what art to invest in – and how to hang it so it looks nice.

After sharpening her artistic eye as a writer for Canvas magazine, Sheikha Lulu co-founded her art advisory company in order to “promote cultural diplomacy” and further encourage collaboration between Arab and Iranian artists and the West. Her theory is that art should be bought as an investment that you can enjoy, whether at home or in the office.

For private clients, JAMM will hunt down potential acquisitions across continents, represent them at public auctions (to maintain discretion), and ensure that all purchases are fully insured and shipped with due diligence. For corporations the process is quite similar, but the consultancy offers an extra, curatorialadvice feature which directs office staff how and where to place art to maximise feng shui and bolster productivity. Naturally, JAMM also helps their clients sell their art too.

Prison Ghosts

So far JAMM might sound like any other art acquisitions consultant, but there’s more. True to their promise of promoting cultural conversation, JAMM organises events, auctions and exhibitions which give both artists and art collectors a chance to mingle and swap knowledge or money. JAMM’s most recent offering – in June this year – was ‘Writings on the Wall’, an exhibition at Life Centre in Kuwait which features the likes of Katya Traboulsi and Susan Hefuna. This show was the sixth organised by JAMM in the first half of 2013 alone, proof of their obsession with the region’s art and their commitment to getting people to buy it.

One of the tricks that makes JAMM so equipped to serve both their artists and their clients is their unmatchable connections. Being a member of the Kuwaiti royal family, Sheikha Lulu is aware that titles open doors. Keen to put her fortunate position to good use, this eminent maiden of art is working to bring the ruling families of the region into a greater understanding of art as a cultural force for good, as well as highlighting it as an economic substitute to depleting oil reserves.